Flodden, Pinkie, and the rebellions of Tudor England — a century of dynastic and religious conflict.
The Tudor period saw the consolidation of English and Welsh union, repeated large-scale conflict with Scotland, and a succession of rebellions driven by religious and dynastic tension. The Battle of Flodden in 1513 killed James IV of Scotland and thousands of Scots noblemen. The Battle of Pinkie in 1547 was one of the first modern battles fought in Britain. The period also saw the Pilgrimage of Grace, the Prayer Book Rebellion, Kett's Rebellion, and the Nine Years' War in Ireland.
243 battles and skirmishes are recorded in this period. A selection of the most significant are shown below — use the full battlefield directory to search and filter all of them.
The most significant Tudor battles include Flodden (1513), where Henry VIII's army defeated James IV of Scotland; the Battle of Pinkie (1547); and the suppression of major rebellions including the Pilgrimage of Grace (1536–37) and Kett's Rebellion (1549).
The Battle of Flodden (1513) was fought in Northumberland between the English army under the Earl of Surrey and the invading Scottish army led by James IV. It was a catastrophic Scottish defeat — James IV was killed along with an estimated 10,000 Scots, including much of Scotland's nobility.
Tudor rebellions were driven by a combination of religious upheaval (the English Reformation), economic grievances (enclosures, taxation), and dynastic instability. The period saw repeated armed uprisings including the Pilgrimage of Grace, Kett's Rebellion, Wyatt's Rebellion, and the Northern Earls' Rising.
Tudor England and Scotland were frequently at war, despite diplomatic marriages such as the union of James IV and Margaret Tudor. Major conflicts include Flodden (1513), the 'Rough Wooing' campaign of 1544–1550, and the Battle of Pinkie (1547).
Pick any location and Aubrey pulls together 15 strands of its history, each drawn from the record:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.